A Jog at the Beach
by CoolPickles
Summary: Percy jogs on the beach one morning and decides to strike a conversation with another jogger. Little does he know that he's talking to his long lost friend, and love? Taken place 10 years after PJO.
1. Gray Eyes and Blonde Hair

It had been 10 years since the last time I saw her. I thought I'd forget about her sooner or later, but every day something brought her back to my mind. Then I'd play back those memories, whether I wanted to or not, and they'd always come back. Since I moved to LA last summer, I'd always go to the beach now and then to clear my mind after and take in the sea breeze. Willing the currents back and forth, it soothed me.

^ This is just a heads up from Percy's point of view of some info you need to know. It takes place 10 years after TLO.

* * *

I went to the shore one dawn, to jog around the sea and watch the morning sunrise. Usually, I'd see a couple others jogging along and I'd keep up with them, to maybe start up a little chat and get some breakfast together afterwards. I guess you could say I make friends easily.

I saw one jogger that morning with her blonde hair tied in a ponytail, listening to her ipod, and decided to catch up to her. She seemed into her running and she was pretty fit, too…and attractive. I mean, really attractive.

I had trouble catching up to her since she was so fast, but managed at the end to get her attention.

"Hey!" I said. She turned her head quickly and slowed down, taking out one of her earphones.

I was panting from trying to keep up. How embarrassing…

"Um, hey?" she looked at me with an eyebrow raised. We were still running.

"I just decided that jogging alone was no fun." I flashed my signature smile and her eyes sort of widened. I continued anyway. "So, how come you jog on the beach?"

She paused. "Well, being near the ocean brings me back memories". Her expression turned into something nostalgic.

It was also sort of funny because I came here to do the opposite thing, so I could clear _my_ memories.

"Oh yeah?" I said, "Memories of what?"

"Just…a friend I used to know." Her gray eyes sparkled in the light when she started describing him, and I thought for one second she started to smi- ….wait. Gray eyes? What? Gray eyes and blonde hair.

"Well, that seems…nice. What…what was his name?" I asked carefully. My heart almost burst out of my chest. This … couldn't be it.

She picked up her pace. "It's a unique name, Percy."

I stopped running right there. I felt like someone slapped me right there on that spot, with my legs glued to the sand.

"Hey, are you okay?" She stopped running, too. Her face looked concerned.

I should've ran away at that point; make it back home so I'd never see her again. But at the same time, I couldn't. I needed to know. For a few seconds, I couldn't force anything to come out my mouth, until I choked out my words.

"…Annabeth?"


	2. Different from the Other Girls

Thanks, guys for the reviews! This is my first fanfiction ever and I appreciate the advice and comments!

I understand some of you might think "we don't even know what happened between them, why didn't they see each other for 10 years?" Well, I purposely didn't explain much in the first chapter, because I'm meaning to in the next couple chapters. You will find out more as the chapters go along.

Please suggest ideas also!

**Thanks so much guys!**

* * *

Just that one word shook me. I shouldn't have said her name at all. My hands were shaking.

"..what?" She took a sharp step towards me. Her gray eyes were pierced into mine. "How do you…"

She drew back.

"Oh my gods. Percy?"

There we were. Two adults stuck into the sand with the same shocked expression; the thought of how ridiculous we must've looked didn't pass through my head at the moment. I was too focused on how long we would go without talking. I mean the pause was beyond awkward, even the sea stood still at that point; it may have been because of me.

She broke the silence after a while. "Percy? Is that…really you?"

No, it's not. No. Run. Now.

"Uh. Yeah."

Geez, how lame could I be? 'Uh. Yeah.' Smooth.

"Oh my gods! Percy, it is you!" Her eyes started to twinkle and all my worries just disappeared at that second. How did she do that? "It's been…it's been.." she faltered.

"10 years." My eyes were all over the place. Annabeth. She sure did change over the years, in a good way of course. A really, really, really, good way. She was taller, tall and slender…and curvier, too. Her blonde hair had highlights in them, from being in the sun, her skin also tanner, not to mention her eyes. Her eyes were the same startling gray, and it made her different from the rest of the girls, which was something I loved.

"Percy?"

My head snapped back to reality. How long was I looking at her for? Oh my gods, she must've thought I was some pervert. I wasn't checking her out or anything, I mean, you can't help but look at a friend that you haven't seen in ten years!

"Oh." I tried not to, but my lips curved up, forming a stupid smile. I didn't want to look too giddy or anything…"yeah. It's been a while, huh."

She was smiling, too, making mine stretch out further. I must've looked like a fool. I waited for her to speak.

"I seriously can't believe you're here. I thought I'd never see you again!"

My thoughts brightened. She thought of me. "Yeah well, I moved to LA last summer, for my job and all. You, too?"

"I wanted to start fresh again, so I made a short move from San Francisco." She looked a little uncomfortable, so I changed the subject.

"Oh that's nice."

Well, I attempted to.

I looked around to try to strike a new topic, but my eyes were directed to her shorts pocket. There was something tucked into it, with a little bit sticking out. It was navy and had the New York Yankees emblem on it.

"Hey is that your-"

Something started ringing all a sudden. Annabeth stuck her hand in her other pocket and pulled out something sleek and gray. I realized it was a phone as soon as she checked the call on the display screen.

She picked a blonde lock from her face and swept it to the side. "Sorry, I have to take this call." She looked embarrassed and laughed a little to make up for it.

"Oh it's fine." I waited for her. Maybe afterwards I'd ask her for breakfast and then we could just talk or something. I didn't want to run anymore. I was pumped.

"Oh hey. Yea-yeah. When? I thought I gave the plans to you yesterday? Oh-oh! Right, I left them on the des- now?" She glanced over her shoulder at me. "Really? Is it that impor-oh. Okay then, bye."

She turned around and faced me with a sheepish expression.

I didn't want her to feel embarrassed. "Oh, no, I understand, go ahead-"

"It's just some plans I left at my desk, and they were due yesterday." She laughed. "I'm really sorry, but I have to run now! I'll see you soon, Seaweed Br-Percy." She dashed off after that, and I watched her leave. She even remembered my nickname! It was a good thing she left right after she said that, because I felt like jumping up and down (which I did after she was gone) and my smile was up to my ears.

I realized later as I was walking back home that I had no way to contact her now, and felt like an idiot again. It didn't ruin my mood though, because I knew I'd see her again.


	3. A Marine Biologist

The following week was one of my happiest. My mind was buzzing all the time, even during work. I was a marine biologist and would frequently dive into the sea to "observe" marine life with the other researchers. Really, I only took the job to be near the ocean and check up on the sea creatures. Every now and then some Hippocampi would swim over complaining about plastic soda can holders choking their friends, or something along the lines.

I dived in alone that week and felt the familiar rush of the sea. The currents were the heartbeats of the ocean, and I could sense every wave coming forth. As usual, my clothes stayed dry, and I breathed in the saltwater like fresh air. Basically, I was home. I swam through a school of fish and started playing around with the seashells near the coral banks, when I suddenly felt a pair of eyes on me. No, more than a pair. Tens. Hundreds. I dropped the seashells. Thousands? I whipped my head around to catch a glimpse of what was staring at me, and I gasped.

Every fish, sea mammal, and mythological creature I saw seemed to be whispering behind my back. I even heard some giggling. Several naiads were pointing and waving at me. Gossip swept up the whole ocean.

A couple of young Hippocampi came by, butting each other on the head and whinnying loudly.

'_Is it true, lord?'_ Their round eyes grew bigger by the second. What was going on? Was there something wrong with my hair? My face?

I had to get to the bottom of this. _'Is what true?'_

Then they started galloping around each other, if that's possible…with their fish tails and all. _'Oh, you know! Everyone has been saying that they saw you, lord!'_

Okay, now I was a little agitated. They _saw_ me?

'_What? What do you mean they saw me?'_

By now, the Hippocampi were doing flips in the water and flapping their fins. This was getting ridiculous.

'_Spit it out!' _I needed to know now, or else it'd be hours until I'd surface again.

'_We saw you with the lady, my lord!' _

'_What lady?'_

'_Lord, the one with the golden hair and the gray eyes!'_

Oh. Perfect. They saw me look like an idiot in front of Annabeth. Was that _all_?

'_She looks like the one from your past adventures! The one that you fancy!'_

Woah! _'What!?'_ My eyes almost bounced out of their sockets. _'How do you kn- she is my friend!'_

The Hippocampi looked at each other with smiles plastered to their faces.

'_Just a friend!'_ It was no use…

'_Lord, you're turning red! Have you a fever?'_

The rest of the sea laughed along. Wonderful, but I needed to get to shore or I would look suspicious, staying underwater for over an hour.

'_Alright, alright!' _I said. _"As much as I love discussing my private life with you, I have to leave now."_

I started swimming to the surface.

_"Tell us how it goes with the gray-eyed one!"_ the Hippocampi managed to yell out before I disappeared out of the ocean.


	4. Memorized by Heart

You guys! Thanks so much for the comments! They make my day!!! Keep at it!

Also, I will probably not update much this week, because I have midterm exams. :(. That's why I uploaded 2 new chapters now. Enjoy!

* * *

I was hesitant to go back to the beach afterwards, but I forced myself to go jogging near the sunset after work. Not for the sake of maintaining my physique, but to look out for Annabeth.

Ever since my special "ecounter" I've been going out to jog every day, either sunrise or sunset, I'd be there. But I'd come home every single day without seeing her and I was about to reconsider looking, but I had a gut feeling that she'd be here sooner or later.

I finally ran into her on a late Saturday afternoon after work, and I mean, literally, ran into her.

"Agh! Hey!" We both collided into the sand, and a handful of it went into her mouth (she even looked good with sand smeared all over her face). But, she was so preoccupied with spitting it all out that she didn't even realize that I was on top of her. It would've been pretty romantic too, if she wasn't spewing out sand all over my face. Even I was too surprised with actually seeing her again to understand the current situation at hand.

"What was that!? Who do you think you are, running into people-" she blinked away the remaining sand from her eyes, and once again, a piercing shade of gray was focused on my green. "P-Percy?"

My mind was thinking 'Yes, it's me! How're you doing?', but what came out was more like "Uh…?". Still shocked, I couldn't believe all my efforts actually paid off! Thank gods I decided to look on the beach one more time.

"Percy…" It was like the words melted from her lips, like warm caramel. Every word that came out her mouth felt like clouds. Gentle, comfortable, friendly. "Percy……" It felt so nice to be with her again, and it felt great hearing her say my na-oh. Oh my gods. I didn't know how red my cheeks were after that moment, when I realized I was _still_ on top of her. She must've understood that I took in what was going on, too, because her face looked like it had been washed with tomato paste. I jumped off of her as soon as possible, my arms springing up from the sand.

"Oh my go-…I'm so..oh geez…" My words fell all over the place. I didn't dare look at her.

She tried to laugh it off. "Haha, no it's ok…haha. Really." She was still focused on me.

"I am so sorry for that though, I didn't mean to…I mean, I don't usually….I'm sorry." What a dope.

"Seriously, it's okay, Percy. I'm just happy it was you and not some creep." I looked up and she was smiling. Still beet red, but smiling. At me.

I couldn't help but lift up my head and laugh at what just happened, and then blushing at how close we were. Things were turning out well, and I thought this might be my chance.

"Hey Annabeth," she was laughing, too, "do you want to maybe catch a quick dinner or something tonight?" My hands were a little clammy now. "If you want to, I mean. If not, I understand. Not that I don't want you to- I mean, uh, wait. I-"

"Well Percy, I just went running, and frankly, I'm pretty tired." I directed my gaze up to her and I saw how she was right. Her face, arms, and legs were gleaming from her sweating and it looked like she wanted to sit down. I felt like a ton of bricks just clobbered me from ten stories high. In other words, I felt stupid, angry at myself, down.

"Oh. Okay. I'm sorry I asked you then." I hung my head down low and stared at my sandals.

"Woah." I looked up again and I saw that she cocked her head to the right and arched her eyebrow. "That doesn't mean I don't want to hang out with you."

"Huh?"

"I'm just tired from today is all." She grinned, "I'm free all day tomorrow, and I want to meet you somewhere." She sounded so confident, it almost lifted me up on my feet.

"You want to hang … out with me-"

"Meet me tomorrow at lunchtime on the pier and we can do whatever. Oh, and my number, of course." She proceeded to read out her number to me, and wrote it on my arm with an old pen she found in the sand.

"See ya." She ran off in the distance, just like the first time, leaving me grinning stupidly on the beach.

I sprinted home with all the vigor I had left, and the number rubbed off my arm after my shower, but it didn't matter to me.

I had it memorized by heart.


	5. Thank the Gods for LA Weather

Hey, guys! Exams are OVER for me and I enjoyed my weekend thoroughly. I can now update, so here you go with the 5th chapter. More on what Percy and Annabeth's day together will be unveiled in the next chapter coming at you...very soon? Yeap.

Please review, it makes me so happy! And suggestions are always appreciated.

* * *

_"Really, Lord? How amazing!"_ The Hippocampi got excited way too easily these days, especially when I updated them on Annabeth news, not that I wanted too, of course. They wouldn't leave me alone until they got their daily fill.

They wouldn't stop talking about it, either, which made me reconsider how great it was to communicate with sea life.

"_And a meeting at the pier! A meeting of joyous reunion!"_ Not to mention that they were enthusiastic about everything I had to say.

One of the other Hippocampi spoke up. _"Actually, I'm pretty sure it's called a 'date' nowadays."_

The others nodded along, agreeing with the one who just spoke, while I… flipped out.

"_Hold up?! It's NOT a date! It's lunch with a.....a friend."_

"_She is female though."_

"_Yes, that's right."_

"_A girl, yes?"_

"_Yes."_

"_So she would be your 'girlfriend', correct?"_

"_Yes, corr-NO." _This was the second time my eyes nearly shot out my sockets. The Hippocampi just giggled among themselves. _"Oh my gods, what is __**wrong **__with you. ..mythological creatures?!"_

That just made them topple over in laughter, which…gave me the perfect opportunity to leave.

"_Wait, Lord!"_ Still laughing, they managed to follow me. I sighed. Damn Hippocampi…

"_What?"_ I checked my watch. 12:35. _"Oh, CRAP!"_ I really needed to tape my eyes to my face, because I actually thought they were going to pop out at that moment. Twice in the same day…great.

The Hippocampi gasped, as if I just told them seaweed was the worst snack in the world, and I had to admit, it was pretty gross. "Oh come on you guys, give me a break." I was really running out of time along with the fact that my lunch outfit was still at home, and on top of that, I was supposed to meet Annabeth at _12:30_. _"I'm sorry, but I was supposed to meet her 5 minutes ago! I gotta' go NOW!"_

I wish I hadn't said that so loudly, when all of the sea was around during my little "panic attack". Now the whole ocean was buzzing with talk.

"_Oh, we're sorry to have kept you here, lord, but we have a gift you may give to the wise one!" _

"_Huh?"_

The sea was suddenly hushed.

They gestured to one of their young Hippocampi with their fin extended towards me. It held a petite box, smaller than the size of my palm, and carefully decorated with detailed engravings of the waves and seashells.

Silence.

My jaw dropped just at the site of the box, and I gingerly grasped it, opening the case gently to reveal the contents inside.

To this date I still have not seen a gift so beautiful.

My mind was almost blown away, when I picked up the delicate necklace resting inside. It was light, probably made of silver, made with such amazing craftsmanship. The bottom had a thin locket, in the shape of an owl; every single feather engraved into the silver. The symbol of Athena.

I opened the locket, hoping not to break it, and saw a tiny trident nestled into the center of the inside. The sign of Poseidon. It glowed a faint green and exuberated something mighty. Power? Hope?

They spoke in a gentle tone, _"Hold it against your ear, Lord"._

I slowly pressed the trident to the side of my face, and instantly heard the sound that always calmed me. Like music, the sounds were vibrant and so incredibly realistic, of the soothing waves. I shook my head, speechless.

"_We made it together, along with help from the cyclop forges, to aid you along your way. As a hopeful bonding of Poseidon and Athena, no matter how contrasting they might be, lord." _

This was unbelievable. _"I…You guys. I…don't know what to say…how to thank you…" _I was stunned, to say the least. _"This is amazing."_

"_It's only for being such immense help to our kind. We just hope you keep us…how you say 'posted' with the outside world, lord."_

I smiled a grateful smile and took them to their word. _"Thank you so much!" _I swam eagerly towards shore, hoping that this gift would play its part someday in the future. I shrugged. Hippocampi weren't that annoying after all.

* * *

I ignored all the weird expressions people gave me when they saw me suddenly run out of the water like a madman. I would've been more careful, but I couldn't afford being later than I already was to the pier.

12:39. I needed to _teleport_ home and back to at least be considerably late. At the rate I was sprinting, Annabeth would have left and never wanted to speak to me again. It would be unacceptable. But then if I ran too hard I'd start sweating, and then I would have to take a shower, which would make me even later. I shouted out loud, "Oh MAN".

I ignored the weird stares then, too.

I reached my apartment in a matter of minutes, minus the never-ending wait in the elevator, and shoved my key inside the door. I rummaged my drawers, trying finding the outfit I arranged the night before.

Now I know that might sound a little lame, and I never actually pick my clothes the night before, but for Annabeth I wanted to perfect everything, even though the situation at the time was nothing near.

"Yes!" Through the chip bags, soda cans, and dirty underwear, I managed to fish out what I wanted. Immediately, I threw my outfit on as fast as I could; a faded green V-neck with a vintage feel to it, beach khaki shorts, and my favorite pair of Vans. Looking at the mirror, I was ready.

On the way back, I decided to take my bike to reduce travel time, and hoped that I would make it.

The sea breeze caressed my cheeks and the scent of the salty ocean filled my lungs, giving me some reassurance. Feeling appreciative, I gazed at tranquil waves. 'Thanks, Dad'.

12:44. 14 minutes late, my newfound confidence suddenly plummeted and my stomach did flips as I pushed the pedal, finally reaching the pier. I parked my bike where the others rested, and began my search for Annabeth.

Now let me tell you about the pier in the part of LA I live in. It has one of the best beaches in the west-coast, food and drinks, rides, and most importantly, the perfect amount of sun all year round. It feels like summer even during the winter months, like January or February. You can imagine how crowded it was that day, especially since it was on the weekend.

I slipped on my aviators and squeezed through the mobs of people lying around. There must've been some festival or concert; it hadn't been so jam-packed like this in a while. I averted my eyes near the center of the pier where a stage had been set up, and music was pulsing about the place. "Ahh…" I suddenly realized it was one of the countless concerts they usually played during the middle of February.

I scanned the throng of people jamming along to the music and my eyes lit up at the very end of the crowd, at the other side of the pier, where a certain blonde was sitting in a beach chair with a sketchpad, looking into the sea; probably the only girl who wasn't dancing up and down to the music. My heart did a 360 and I felt energized. "Here we go".

I tentatively walked over to her and gulped. A little too loud, I guess. She turned her head around. "Percy?"

Get ready for the yelling. "Hehe…yeap."

She was wearing aviators, too. I guess we had some things in common. She lowered them onto the bridge of her nose. "Hey, where have you been?" Then she flashed a glimmering row of white teeth. I stopped holding my breath, feeling relieved. "I've been waiting for you!"

'She's not mad! Yes!' I matched her smile with mine. "Yeah…sorry about that, I had a little meeting…with some…friends." I scratched the back of my neck, laughing to lighten the situation.

She chuckled and got up from her chair and it was all slow motion from there. "Woah.." I mumbled.

Dressed for the sun, Annabeth wore a light yellow tank top, showing parts of her back and shoulders, and a bit of her stomach, along with a pair of white twill shorts, modest in exposure, but it was enough for me. "You..wow.." I said with boggled eyes. She must've not noticed me because instead of slapping the daylights out of me, she let down her pony tail, and her blonde hair spilled down all over her shoulders.

Thank the gods for LA weather.

"Haha, I was waiting for my hair to dry, so I tied it up." She tucked her mini sketchpad into her back pocket of her shorts.

I pieced myself back together and willed myself to maintain control. "You look really nice today, Annabeth." That was controlled, wasn't it?

Her cheeks were tinted rosy and she looked down. "…Thanks." I saw a small grin.

Success!

She continued, holding her head up high. "February concerts, right?"

"Yeah, they get the whole pier packed. I didn't know they would start today." Obviously, both of us didn't like the mayhem in the pier. "Wanna' go somewhere else?"

Her face brightened. "I thought you'd never ask. Where?"

I thought for a split second. "Let's eat Italian." My stomach was growling for spaghetti.

"Sounds great!"


	6. Is that a Dolphin Over There?

A new chapter! And the best part? The day's not even finished yet! :D

To those people who have sticked with this story from the beginning, big kudos! You know who you are! I do too...obviously.

Remember to review and suggest new ideas! 64 reviews already! I'm so happy!

Thanks, you guys!

* * *

The restaurant was only five minutes away, which gave me five minutes to stare at Annabeth some more. A whole five minutes. Apparently, all the other guys we passed on the way felt the same. I stuck my tongue out at them. 'You wish!'

"Which restaurant are we going to?" I liked the flip flops she was wearing; yellow to match her tank top.

"Pomodoro, the one down the block. They have the best spaghetti." I hope she didn't notice my stomach clawing itself out.

"Isn't that place a little…pricey?"

"Yeah…"

"Oh…" She scrunched up her mouth, the way she did when she felt unsure. "We're splitting the bill right?"

"…" The sky was so blue today.

"_Right_?"

I sighed. "Oh. Yeah. Sure." We'd see about that, Wise Girl.

Italian music replaced the booming rock concert as we pushed open the towering glass doors of Pomodoro. Elongated grape vines were strewn across the walls and renaissance paintings gazed down upon us from each wall. Basically, you could call it a better version of Olive Garden.

I thought of bringing back some food for the Hippocampi. 'Nah, seafood is their thing."

"Follow me." A whole mass of people overtook the entrance, waiting for a table, I guess. The place was packed. Why today?

"Percy, where are you?" I heard a voice among the crowd. I lost her already?

Weaving through webs of people, I made out a blonde head of hair. A _pretty_ blonde head of hair. "Annabeth!"

"Oh, there you are." She attempted to make her way past. "I can't exactly…there's a lot of...ugh…Percy give me your…"

"What?" Pomodoro was a pretty big restaurant. A lot of people could fit in the entrance hall apparently.

"I said give me …"

"Huh?" I tried to lean in closer, but a group of elderly women prevented me from going any further.

"Your hand!" She extended her arm.

"….Huh?"

"Give me your hand, Percy." People were bustling into her.

"My..hand?" A clumsy smile formed on my lips and I felt a little hot. "Wait, but…" I was fidgeting. How old was I again? Five?

"Yes your hand, come on!" More people came in through the doors. "They're pushing me!"

I considered the fact that I was already on top of her once, so this shouldn't be any harder....I think. "Okay!" I reached out my arm and she clasped my hand.

I know it sounds stupid, but I sort of giggled. I mean, the fact that we were holding hands sounded pretty nice to me.

But then I thought of how many people were squishing Annabeth, so I pulled her out of the crowd.

I heard a clashing sound. "Uh…" Another embarrassing moment, on account of me. I definitely pulled her too hard and then seemed to understand that our bodies were very, very close to each others.

We both pulled away as fast as we could, looking at each other's shoes and scratching our heads.

"Well. Thanks for getting me out of the mob. I thought I'd be flattened." She tried to put on a straight face, but the blush on her cheeks stayed behind to say hi.

"No problem, I needed you alive for our reservation." Her eyes widened. Two points for the son of Poseidon.

"...Reservation?" She looked a little flustered. Maybe I should've picked a cheaper restaurant. But Pomodoro was great for eating out! Family friendly, casual, and easygoing, it was better than going to a McDonalds.

I nodded. "Yeah, I didn't want to take any risks, so I booked a table for us." I looked around. "I guess I was lucky to be careful, huh."

She slowly nodded along, taking it all in. "Yeap, I guess so." Then she started walking towards the podium where the hostess stood. "Let's…go then."

We were led to a cozy booth near a window overlooking the ocean. I had to sneak the hostess a five dollar bill to stop her from setting us to a lousy round table in the middle of the restaurant.

"Enjoy your table!" The smiling hostess switched her gaze on me and took off, sliding her bribe into her pocket.

After ordering our meals, spaghetti for me, spaghetti for her, we began to start a conversation.

"So, what's that little notebook you have for?" I motioned for her back-pocket. Wait. Thinking of what I just said, I hope she didn't get the wrong message.

"Huh?" She looked confused. "What…oh!" Reaching for her pocket, she pulled out her mini notebook and brought it to the table. It was a simple spiral notepad, with a blue design on the cover. It looked like it had been kept for a while.

"This thing?" Her eyes brightened.

"Yeah."

"It's just my little sketchpad, you know, for ideas." She flipped open the front, revealing pages of straight lines and measurements.

I bent over the table to see. The sketches had numbers everywhere, with lots of designs and descriptions. "Still keen on architecture, I guess."

"I guess so, since I am…an architect and all." She took out a mini pencil and began a new page.

"…" I knew she would make it someday. I beamed. "Living the dream, right?" She looked up and laughed a little. "Must be a blast for you, Annabeth. I'd go crazy!" I chuckled.

"It is fun. I love it!" Her lines were so straight, even though she was sketching freehand. "What about you, though? I bet you're not the type to work behind a desk."

"Pretty much. You can guess what I am, since you know me so well." I emphasized the _soooo. _She tried to suppress a smile.

"Well, Mr. Seaweed Brain, I guess I will." It felt like years back.

"Crazy fish stunt man." She failed to hold back her laugh.

"Oh yeah, that's…close..." Annabeth's laugh almost sounded better than the waves.

"Lifeguard."

"No."

"Speedboat driver."

"Nope. What kind of job is that?"

"Swim coach?"

"No."

"It has to do with water, right?"

"Yeah. You got at least something right, there!"

"Woohoo…" The enthusiasm in her voice was overwhelming….and yes I was being sarcastic.

She continued. "And fish?"

"You could say that, yeah."

"Aquarium Diver."

"No."

"Oceanographer."

"No."

"Marine biologist."

"N-Yes!" I laughed. "That took you a while."

"Maybe I was just messing around with you", she gave a coy expression.

"Congratulations?"

She rested her chin on her hands. "Tell me what it's like. Is it fun?"

It took me less than a second to respond. "Of course it is! It's the best job you can have!" She cocked her head to the right. "Other than your job, of course. But really, it's great working with marine life!"

Her eyes looked distant and she leaned in closer. "Percy, I'm really happy for you. You've grown on me." She seemed genuinely happy, which made me ecstatic.

"I feel the same exact way." 'You have no idea, Annabeth.'

We ate in silence after that. A good silence.

* * *

"Here's your bill, Mr. and Mrs…" The waitress handed us the check.

My eyes darted to Annabeth's face back to the waitress. "Oh, no, we're not-uh…-we're not-"

The young girl's face flushed a deep pink. "Oh, no. I'm so sorry! I only assumed, I'm sorry to have caused any-"

Annabeth laughed over the waitress' speech. "It's completely fine. Don't worry about it."

The poor waitress scurried away afterwards. I wondered if the same girl would come back to take the bill.

It didn't matter. I snatched my wallet from my pants pocket and dug out the total amount. Before Annabeth could even peek inside at the price I slid the money in the booklet and started getting up.

She put her hand over mine. "What do you think you're doing?"

I didn't know whether to sit back down and keep my hand still, or slip away. "I'm…going…to the bathroom." I tried spotting our waitress among all the tables.

"Oh, really." There was that coy smile again. "You're going to the bathroom with the bill?"

"I..I don't like going alone."

"Mmm hmm.."

"I always say the more the merrier…" My eyes stopped zipping around. Found her!

"Percy," I tried to let go of my hand, but she just grabbed on tighter. "Give me the check."

The waitress was getting away! "Bye!" I dug my hand out and left our ocean-view booth. "Hey! Check's here!"

"Wait, hey!" Annabeth started to get up.

"Hey waitress!" It seemed that my shouting caught the attention of some of the nearby tables. This wasn't embarrassing at all.

She turned her head around. "Check!" I waved the booklet around in the air as she turned around and walked our direction. Then it was swiped out of my grasp all of a sudden.

"Got it!" Annabeth ran back to the table and dug into her back-pocket, pulling out her wad of bills. "We're splitting the money, Percy!" I thought I had a chance to snatch it back from her but she slapped her hand down on the check. "...Remember?"

"….Is that…is that a dolphin over there?" I was waiting for an opportunity, but she didn't even budge.

"A Dolphin? Really? Do you think I'd actually fall for that?" She put her hand on her hip.

"No, I guess not, but I wanted to distract you from that spider in your hair."

Pause.

Well, that did it. Both her arms went up to her head while she spun 360 degrees in a circle, calling out, "What? Where? Where is it? Where?!"

It was pretty amusing to watch at first, but my duty was only a few more steps ahead of me. I grabbed the bill and figured that I'd have my walk of victory up to the bewildered waitress standing a couple feet apart from me. I combed back the hair in my eyes and started strolling forwards.

"Here you g-WOAH!" I felt like I was K.O.'d when something heavy fell on my back.

"Thought you could fool me, didn't you?" I slowly turned my head around. Was Annabeth…on my back? She jumped …onto my back? I didn't exactly know what was going on at that point, but I attempted to walk further, while she tried to flip me over, and needless to say, it sort of turned into a mini wrestling match after that.

But the best part was we were laughing the whole way through, even _if_ the whole restaurant decided to tune in.


	7. They Said You Were Pretty

Hi! Sorry I didn't upload for a while. I had a busy schedule; parties, school, the usual. I hope you like this chapter!

Suggestions are always appreciated. Remember to review! You guys inspire me to write more!

* * *

I managed to knock the waitress on the head when I tossed the bill to her. I guess she wasn't much of a catcher, but nevertheless, I fulfilled my mission and successfully paid the check, even though we were banned from eating at Pomodoro ever again.

Annabeth and I walked through the glass doors with scratches and bruises on our limbs, but we were still cracking up over what happened.

"I…I.." She tried to catch her breath, but she couldn't stop laughing. "I can't believe you thought you could run off like that!" I had to hold her back from hitting the concrete.

"I can't believe…" I let go of her to hold in my stomach and catch my own breath. "I can't believe you actually _jumped_ on my back!"

She slung her arm over my shoulder for support. "Well, I couldn't let you break a promise!"

A couple passing by gave us strange glances. We waved back.

"Oh man, that was hilarious!" I said.

"Haha, definitely, but that means I'm buying the next meal we have." The thought of another meal together…I liked the idea.

"I'll keep your promise at that." We were a bit calmer now. The breeze was gentle today.

The sun was shining and the weather was absolutely perfect. We both looked towards the ocean and a thought popped into my head. "Let's go sailing."

She glanced up at me and we stayed like that for a couple seconds. Her smile was brilliant. "It's like you're reading my mind." She winked. "Let's go!"

If I knew anything more than Annabeth did, which wasn't a lot, it was the ocean. Working a boat, the bearings, the creatures, it was my field of specialty. I felt confident that day as I was knee deep in water, preparing the sails of the boat at the dock. Everything just felt so second-nature to me.

"I didn't know you owned a sailboat!" Annabeth stared in awe at the site. "It's beautiful!"

I momentarily took my hands off the ropes and beamed, an aura of pride radiating around me. "Well, I saved up for a year when I first saw it" and for a person who has almost zero patience, the wait was unbearable, but worth it at the end.

Annabeth carried on looking at the boat, examining the white exterior with blue stripes and the magnificent white and green sails, seeming carefree with the gentle wind. The inside looked cozy, also white, reflecting the sun's warm rays. A mini fridge was built into the interior along with snug couches and cushions on the sides. Clean and comfy, the sailboat was a dove on the water.

I finished adjusting the sails and secured the ropes. "Aren't you coming onboard?" I felt the familiar surge of energy from the water and my spirits were lifted high in the sky. I extended my hand out.

"Oh, okay!" She eagerly grasped my hand and climbed aboard the deck of the boat. "Interesting…"

"Do you like it?" I looked around, realizing that I hadn't sailed for quite a while until now. It was nice to finally use the boat, and with company, too. "Help yourself to something in the mini fridge if you like."Checking that everything was in place, I motioned my hands in circles, starting to will the currents forwards at a mild pace.

Annabeth saw me do this as she took a can of Sprite out. "I haven't seen you control the ocean in a long time." She popped the top off and took a small sip of the soda. "What is it like?"

I thought about how I would explain the feeling. "It's sort of like…a tug on your gut. The bigger the tug, the larger the force of the water…it's a little hard to describe."

She nodded slightly, "Hmm…I never thought of it that way." A bright light entered her eyes. "…must be amazing!" I chuckled along with her.

We set off around the ocean, far away from the beach, enough so no one could see us. Annabeth and I sat on the cushions looking far off into the distance. The wind blew back her hair, making it flow seamlessly with the breeze. My heart almost skipped a beat when I took a glance, making me lose my concentration on controlling the currents. The boat lurched backwards, and I flicked my head back around to start again, hoping she didn't understand what just happened.

Recovering from my little moment of embarrassment, I noticed Annabeth occasionally peering into the sea, maybe trying to spot marine life. After a while, I thought of a possible idea, but at the same time, considered the probable risks of it.

"Trying to look for fish?" I asked playfully.

She directed her gaze from the water to me and let out a giggle. "I guess you could say that. I can't see anything, though."

I considered my idea one more time, and hesitantly decided to go for it. "Do you…want to see?"

Her gray eyes doubled in size, looking surprised. "Yeah, bu-wait, you don't mean…"

"You bet, but only if you are willing." I looked over the boat and back at her. "I mean, you'll be safe and all, of course."

A small grin appeared on her lips. "You think I'm not up for it?" She raised an eyebrow jokingly.

I laughed heartily. "Just grab on to my hand and you'll be fine."

We both stood up and I started to count. "On the count of three." I peeked at our clasped hands. Smiling, I proceeded. "One, two..."

She adjusted her body forwards. "Wait are we jumping out or somethi-"

"Three!" I leaped into the water, pulling Annabeth with me, making sure our hands were still together. Water replaced the air above and everything for miles seemed an endless light blue. "You okay?" I was focused on my nautical senses, informing me of where exactly we were. 40 degrees, 41 minutes north, 65 degrees, 15 minutes east. Awesome.

"Blub blu-…" I looked at her and realized she couldn't breathe underwater. I smacked my head on account of my stupidity.

"Oh, woops." Instantly, I summoned a bubble of air around us both and willed Annabeth's soaking clothes to dry.

She gulped the surrounding air as soon as the bubble appeared, and then glared at me. "Did you forget not everyone can breathe underwater, oh son of Poseidon?"

I felt embarrassed, shameful,…embarrassed. "Annabeth….oh geez. I was thinking of our bearings and I guess I forgot the fact that you were with me and…" I itched my neck, "I'm so sorry, I guess I really am a Seaweed Br-" I stopped there and glanced at her face, particularly at her mouth; the edges of her lips were almost curling upwards, suppressing a smile, and I understood immediately. I took a deep breath, feeling both relieved and a little annoyed.

"Geez, way to make a guy feel like an idiot" I looked down and shuffled my feet, feeling my cheeks turn hot. "I am sorry, though."

She didn't try to hide her smile now. "No, it's fine." She slowly lifted my chin up with her finger. "Only trying to have a little fun, right?"

Just that one touch made me feel a million times better and my courage seemed to flow back into me. "Yeah," I said. "Let's go find some fish."

It took less than a minute to direct our bubble to the familiar coral reef I was always drawn to. The colorful patterns and the busy bustle of marine life fascinated me, along with the fact that I was treated like a hero down here. I marveled at the site. "This is my favorite reef. It's a little hard to find, but I manage."

Annabeth's eyes were giant gray globes, taking in the whole scene. Her jaw was dropped and her brow, furrowed. She stayed like that for a while. I found it kind of cute. "You there?" I asked, waving my hand to her face.

She blinked back her senses and grabbed my arm. "I-…" She opened her mouth to speak, but she seemed speechless. "…it's…" Shaking my arm her words finally spilled out. "Percy, you are the greatest! Incredible! Amazing! This is spectacular!" Her head turned every direction, turning after each nanosecond. "Amazing!" she repeated.

Feeling her excitement, I showed her around, meeting schools of fish at every corner, little sharks, and even a lost sea turtle. She seemed thrilled, seeing waves of color everywhere she looked. It was beyond great until she noticed…them.

"Everything is so full of life-hey!" Annabeth pointed to a bunch shadows on the far right. "What is that?"

My shoulders hunched. I was afraid this would happen. "Oh, great" I muttered darkly.

"Hey!" She started waving her arms in the air. "Hey, little guys!" The shadows noticed her and started to swim over slowly.

"What the…Annabeth!" I dreaded the moment. "What are you doing? Do you have any idea what they are?"

She kept her eyes on the figures. "Nope, but I will soon." Keeping her arms outstretched, she yelled "Come here!" You could distinguish the shadows more clearly now, as the figures were moments from closing in. "Almost there little guys-woah!" They were a couple feet apart from us now. "I mean big guys, big, big guys. Wow." She poked my shoulder. "Are those…"

I answered dully. "Hippocampi. Yeah."

The Hippocampi swam circles around our bubble, flapping their fins merrily.

"_Hello, Lord! This must be the lady friend!"_ To Annabeth, this might've sounded more like "Neeiiiighhhhh! "

Now I know I should've been happy to see them again. The Hippocampi had given me a priceless gift, created by them and the Cyclops forges, but still, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed for what was about going to come out of their mouths, now that I'd brought Annabeth along. I sighed.

"_Yes, this is Annabeth."_

"_She has turned into quite the woman, Lord! Beautiful!" _The other Hippocampi shook their manes, agreeing with the one who spoke.

"What are they saying?" Annabeth asked. She looked curious, with her head slightly cocked to the side.

"I…They said you were pretty." I tried to think of a way out of the situation, while Annabeth formed a light blush.

"_You look very good with her, Lord! Have you…what do humans do again?" _

Another Hippocampi spoke up_. "Breath air?" _

"_No, no, that's not it."_

"_Walk?"_

"_No, not quite."_

"_Hug? Kiss?"_

The first Hippocampi did a somersault. _"Yes! That's right! Kiss! Have you kissed the lady friend, Lord?"_

Now it was my turn to blush. It was like they tried to dig up every single detail of your personal life. _"What?! Of course not! Why are you asking this?!"_

Unfortunately, Annabeth probably noticed me in freak-out mode. "What did they say now?"

I tensed up. I couldn't tell her! "They, uh… said they like your outfit."

"_Wait but, we didn't say-"_

"Oh well look at the time!" I forced a smile and told Annabeth that the Hippocampi had to swim back.

"_Actually, Lord, we have a lot of free tim-"_

"Okay! I guess we'll get back to the boat then, right?" I started to direct our bubble to the surface and waved goodbye. "We'll see them later I guess!"

Annabeth waved, too. "I hope so." She grinned.

The Hippocampi looked confused. "_Remember the necklace, Lord!" _They winked. Well, as close as a sea horse can get to winking.

* * *

By the time the sailboat reached the pier, the sun was starting to set and the waves were high-tide. Both Annabeth and I headed towards the boardwalk together, with me struggling to contain the urge to hold her hand. She ran her fingers through her hair, letting the ocean breeze comb through it, which made it almost impossible to hold back my urge.

"I had a lot of fun today," she said. Her eyes were twinkling gray stars.

"Yeah, me too." I looked into those stars, feeling at home and happy. I didn't know what else to say afterwards, so we stood there for some time, taking in each other's presence. That is, until she spoke up.

"Well..." Her cheeks took a pink tint and she took her gaze off of mine. "Aren't you going to hug me now, or something?" She smiled slightly and kept her eyes on the ground.

I was dumbfounded. Of course I wanted to, more than ever, but I couldn't exactly get my legs to function. "Uh…yeah…I guess so…" I tripped over my own words. "…should I…now? Here? Uh…"

She laughed softly. "You were never good with girls, Percy."

Then she did it. She took a step further, wrapping her arms around my neck and hugged me.

At first, my arms were strapped to my sides, paralyzed from the lack of brain function. I didn't know what was going on until I felt her body next to mine, feeling the irresistible warmth of Annabeth. I slowly put my arms around her waist and tried to stop my heart from exploding out of my chest. I prayed that she didn't notice it beating uncontrollably, but soon realized that hers was doing the same exact thing.

She placed her chin on the nook of my neck as I closed my eyes, feeling the waves of the sea rise higher and higher. Was that because of me? It didn't matter, though.

I was on cloud nine and wished time would stand still so we could stay like this forever.

* * *

Sadly, the hug had to end sooner or later, so we broke the embrace a few seconds after what had seemed like an eternity.

"That was nice," I mumbled, trying to remember who I was, with a silly smile on my face.

"It was, wasn't it?" Annabeth laced her fingers together, twiddling her thumbs. "I guess I should go now." She started walking the other direction.

'No,' I thought. I didn't want the day to end. "Wait!" I paced after her, waiting for her to turn around.

"Yeah?" She asked. She was still blushing.

Now was my opportunity. Hopefully I wouldn't mess up like I usually did. "I can…I don't know, walk you home if you like."

Her eyebrows lifted upwards and she formed a little smirk. "How about I walk _you_ home, Seaweed Brain?"

That was Annabeth, always thinking differently. "A little un-cliché, don't you think?"

She cleverly replied, "I hate clichés."

"Of course" I said teasingly. "Let's go then."

* * *

My apartment block was only a short walk away, where we talked about the restaurant, and the underwater visit, along with the Hippocampi, much to my discomfort.

We made it to the building during the middle of our conversation as I bumped into a man with a helmet and a gas mask. "Oops," I said. "Sorry, man."

He carried with him a large can of pesticide and a hose. Other guys dressed exactly like him walked in and out of the building, occasionally bringing equipment out of their van on the street. I examined the apartment block and turned to the man. "What's going on here?"

He replied without taking his eyes off the apartment. "Some guy had an ant infestation and the neighbors reported it to us while he was out." He took his mask off and scratched his beard. He had a nice beard. "Now we're having it fumigated."

"That's terrible," Annabeth said, "Which room number?"

"Seventh floor, number 12."

I froze on the spot right then. I couldn't believe it.

"Oh my gods." I muttered.

"Huh?" Annabeth seemed concerned.

"That's…that's my number." I said a little louder.

"Oh, I feel sorry for you, buddy" The fumigation man said. "You won't be able to live in there for at least a week."

I pushed my hair back with both of my hands. "Damn." I cursed the leftover pizza boxes dropped on the floor, beside the instant noodles and dirty underwear…if ants found that tasty. "Then how am I supposed to live without a home?" I asked, desperately. "Oh man, oh man…"

"You'll just have to make do." The man replied.

"I can't! You don't understand! I don't have anywhere to go-"

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do. It's not our fault ants found their way into your place."

I groaned. "Are you sure?! I can't just sleep on the streets tonight, and all my belongings-"

"Percy." I forgot Annabeth was standing next to me. "If you want…" I looked up. "…you can stay at my house until you know, your apartment is completely rid of the ants."

I took my mind off my apartment. Did she say what I think she said? "What?" I asked, just to make sure I hadn't heard wrong.

"You are welcome to stay at my place." She said, looking at my eyes for an answer.

"…." I was sort of happy that ants terrorized my apartment after she said that.


	8. Why Are We Huddled Together?

The next chapter! It's been a while since I uploaded, right? I guess I just didn't have my inspiration with me :/. There was some writer's block, too.

Anyways, tell me what you think of this chapter! Hopefully this story is getting somewhere! REVIEW! Some of you, I see review every chapter, and I love you for it!

Enjoy...

* * *

We walked side by side on the concrete as I stressed about how I wouldn't be able to go to work, due to a horde of ants devouring my equipment, but then I also considered how flustered I was, about to live in Annabeth's house. For one week. That was seven whole days, if I counted right.

"Sorry I have to be a burden," I apologized.

"Don't worry; I haven't had company in a while." She looked up towards the night sky. "Besides, if anyone is welcome, you definitely are."

I wanted to replay that hug again after that.

"Hmph. Stop making me feel better." I joked, nudging her shoulder. As I expected, I received a light punch back. "Where exactly do you live?" I asked her.

She pointed forwards, "Olympic Boulevard, right around here." I counted the distance in my head, well, tried to, and considered how close that was from my apartment, which was actually only two blocks away. 'Yay!' I thought.

"Pretty ironic name for a street isn't it?" I asked.

She shrugged, not seeming to care. "Yeah, I guess so. I chose it because this one part of it is really peaceful."

"Oh, so you bought the house?"

She took a quick look at me and I saw her eyes shine. "I made the house."

Hmm? I was confused. Not so surprising. "Huh? You mean you built it?"

She gave me a hopeless glance. "No, I designed it. Architect, remember?" Just as she said that she stopped walking and grinned. "This is it."

"Uhh.." I sucked in my breath.

Towering over me, a modern two-story house stood, large and approachable, as it showered visitors with hospitality and warmth. Pillars were built into the exterior, which gave it a mighty feel, and the majority of the house was white, with little hints of gray and brown. Miniature spotlights illuminated the cobblestone pathway to the front door, where blue flowers and tiny shrubs decorated the front yard. Bigger lights lit up the bottoms of each floor of the house, making it come across as important and grand. A homely, red mailbox stood planted near the door as it provided company to the lovely birdbath next to the maple trees.

I walked up towards the front door, as if each step depended on my life to pass. A mini gray owl, stuck in the middle of the door represented a bell, with a button placed delicately on its stomach. I was awestruck. "Geez, Annabeth."

"What?" She asked, enjoying my reaction.

"Way to…uh… make a house." I was too overwhelmed to go on.

"Oh." She looked disappointed. "Thanks, I've only been planning since I was born."

I tried to shake my brain back to working. "Sorry, everything's still processing inside my head." I waited five seconds and started again. "HOLY…WOW! Annabeth! This isn't a house! This is …this is a…castle!"

"Castle?" She giggled.

"Okay, yeah, not a castle, but you know what I mean! Honestly, Annabeth, I've never seen a house so…" I fished for the right word, "…spectacular!"

She carried on laughing. I guess that seemed to do the trick. "Thanks, Percy. Let's…go inside." She took some keys out of her front pocket and after unlocking the door, revealed the inside of her awesome house.

"Wow. Again." Long story short, the inside of her home was ten times better than the outside. Square furniture took a majority of the living room, with a sturdy fireplace and comfortable brown couches opposite it. I thought it would be perfect to lie down and place my feet on the soft red rug below, sipping hot coffee and watching the fire crackle. She probably thought that, too.

"Man…" The whole place had a high-class, intellectual feel to it, with tons of bookshelves lined up on the walls. Instead of paintings, well-prepared blue prints and photographs of famous worldwide monuments were framed in their place. Everything was in position and …perfect. "It's all…very you."

She looked pretty proud when I said that. "Thanks." Her keys were tossed to the glass coffee table as she slipped out of her flip flops and propped herself onto one of the couches. "Make yourself at home; do you want something to drink?"

"No thanks" I replied. What I really wanted to do, though, was fling myself onto her big couch. It looked like the ones that let you sink into it. Instead, I politely took off my shoes and sat across her…when I really was tempted to sit right next to her. I let my eyes wander around. "Pretty interesting that you don't have a TV in a living room," I chuckled.

She swiftly reached under her table and pulled out a drawer, taking with her a rectangular remote. "I sort of hid it, so I wouldn't be tempted to watch it all the time," she replied. Pressing a red button, a part of the wall opposite her, above the fireplace, began to draw back as a glossy flat screen and stereo set took its place. I whistled. "52 inches of pure beauty" I said to myself.

"We can watch a movie here tonight if you want," she suggested. How could I not resist?

"Uh. Yes! Of course!" I probably sounded like a little kid entering the largest candy shop in the world.

She laughed a little. "Come on," she motioned, "I'll show you around."

"Can't wait," I answered. And I really meant it, too.

The whole tour took about fifteen minutes, since each room left me star struck, even though most of them were study rooms, filled to the brim with books and papers. The kitchen was great, with a zesty atmosphere and a perfect environment for enjoying a meal, along with the rooms upstairs. Even the bathroom had me gawking.

The floor above had a few more study rooms, particularly one completely devoted on Annabeth's architectural models, but most importantly, there was her room.

"Amazing…" I said, dreamily. The walls were pearly white with magnificent silky gray curtains on every window, held up by golden poles, where sunlight would spill into her room. The carpet was also gray, with white rugs placed about, sporting a little purple on the edges. And her bed. It was made of mahogany wood, with a white bedspread and gorgeous purple sheets. A painting of an owl hung over the bed, with miniature ones carved into the wood. The great amount of purple focused on the bed made it stand out from the rest of the room, as it was all in all, very regal. The fact that there was a bathroom built with it made the room convenient, too.

"You're going to drool all over my floor, Percy." Annabeth pulled me to the next room. "This is where you'll be staying." Slowly, I directed my stare to the new room.

"Impressive…" I said. The room, apparently the guest room, looked very much like the main bedroom, but a tad bit smaller, with light green sheets instead of purple. The curtains were also green. "I like, but I might have trouble telling them apart," I joked. She laughed along. As I admired the moment, I spotted a glimmer near the bed. "Hey what's that?" I asked. It was a metal pole that could be extended, with a leather handle.

She tensed up. "Nothing," she quickly said. "Just left from the construction." She snatched the stick and chucked it in the closet. Gripping my shoulder, she put on a strained smile and led me back downstairs. "Let's watch that movie."

* * *

'That was a little bit weird,' I thought to myself. I could've asked Annabeth what just happened, but decided it was nothing and let it go. We were going to watch a movie on a 52-inch flat screen, so I wanted nothing to interfere with that.

Annabeth heated up some pasta she had made the night before, for tonight's dinner, which I was totally fine with. I mean, it was better than instant noodles every night. We ate our meal contently and were in the midst of picking a movie. "Action movie?" I asked.

She thought about it and replied coolly, "No, not in the mood."

"Comedy?"

"Maybe next time…" she answered.

" …..Romantic…comed-"

"Percy, ew."

I sighed in relief. "Sorry, I was uh…testing you." Pause. "…Scary?"

She considered the option. "Well," she began, "I guess there are no other choices left, so, alright then."

We finished our dinners and exited the kitchen to the living room. I was sort of glad that we'd be watching a scary movie, for a chance that Annabeth would get anxious, and maybe hold onto a … strong, brave man…like…me. But then again, she was a tough person, so I'd have to get lucky. 'Oh, well,' I shrugged.

A few seconds passed as I sat opposite the TV on one of the couches, waiting as Annabeth inserted the DVD into the player. I couldn't believe I was actually watching a movie with her! "Ready?" I asked.

"All set," she responded. Walking back, she plopped herself down to the spot right beside me.

"Don't get too scared, okay?" I teased.

She punched me in response. "Funny," she grinned.

* * *

I thought I'd be completely prepared for the movie, so I sat comfortably with Annabeth by my side, laying my foot on my knee. We were watching another horror film about some crazed maniac off on a killing spree, and a couple of teenagers running for their lives. 'Typical', I thought. I stretched out my arms. 'This is going to be a breeze.'

What I didn't know, though, was that the next 90 minutes would probably be the scariest of my life.

Apparently, that movie hadn't met my low expectations like I thought it would. I slowly started bringing my legs closer to my body, reaching for the nearest pillow to cling onto, as if my life depended on it. I quickly directed my gaze to Annabeth, and felt like a complete loser, seeing that she was slouched into the couch, looking as unconvinced as ever. My semi-romantic plan for the night plummeted into the ground.

I gulped. "Really good…graphics." I tried not to jump every time something popped up on the screen.

She turned her head around and suddenly smirked at the site of me. "Yeah…" She raised her eyebrows. "…Scared?" Who knew such a sweet smile could be used for evil.

I blinked hastily. "What? No!" I huffed, "I bet you are though!" Lame. I wish I had a bigger pillow.

"Hmph," she said. "Whatever you say." She turned back to the movie, still smirking.

For the next couple of scenes we stayed that way, with her concentrated on the screen and me wishing I had a blanket to hide behind. I couldn't even pull off the smooth arm-over-the-couch-to-Annabeth's-shoulder move without thinking of something popping up behind me. I even thought I saw _her _look a little uneasy as we were deep into the movie at that point, with more surprises to come. I sighed distastefully, and glanced to the side at Annabeth, almost smacking into her face. 'Huh?' I thought to myself. 'Why are we huddled together?'

Without realizing, we had both moved closer together on the couch during the movie, out of the growing fear of what the killer would do next. I could see she was trying to maintain her anxiety, so she wouldn't look as scared as I did. I smiled at the thought.

What came next, though, changed all of that.

I guess the killer had finally found the teenagers, hidden under the bed of his room. A bloodcurdling scream erupted from one of the teens and the killer's face popped right next to them. Needless to say, it scared the hell out of me.

Apparently, it got Annabeth, too.

Both of us jumped from the scream, me particularly thrashing my legs in the air, and looked to grab onto the nearest pillow. Seeing as all the pillows were on the other side of the couch, with an exception to the tiny one I held, Annabeth leaped onto me, using my body as her pillow, and buried her head into my chest.

Once again, we were on top of each other, with my back to the couch. At moments like this, I would have a million thoughts in my head, probably considering what I would do next, but the only thing that came to my head came out as '…Déjà vu'.

A millisecond passed as I tried to decipher what had just happened, while Annabeth stayed in her position, maybe doing the same. I replayed the moment in my mind, and thought how cute she was, using me as her pillow.

She suddenly bolted up, her face inches from mine. "Wow," she blushed. "That scream…"

I couldn't help but smile. "…scared you?"

Her eyes sparkled like stars. "Of course not!" she let out an embarrassed laugh. "It just startled me is all."

She was still lying on me, her hands on my chest. "I think you were scared," I teased.

"Yeah, well not as scared as you were, Percy. I thought you were going to break my coffee table!" She chuckled.

"You were still scared…" I joked. We looked at each other, and I saw her radiant gray eyes again. They seemed paler than before, but thinking of the situation, I took this as my opportunity to do what I've always wanted to do.

"I wasn't," she poked me in the ribs.

"Ow, yes you were!"

"No, I wasn't!"

"Yes you were!"

"No I wasn't!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"For the last time, I wasn-" Her eyes widened.

Silence.

I guess I should've let her finish her sentence, but I thought I'd kiss her instead.

She took her lips off mine. "Percy…" she stammered. "I…" She looked away and back at me. "Oh, what the hell."

She smiled and leaned in. "And I wasn't scared."

This time, I didn't argue back.


	9. Oddly, I Had a Dream

MAJOR APOLOGY to those who wanted me to upload so badly, haha. For one thing, I had so many things going on with tests, and friends moving away, I wanted to focus on other things first. Also, afterwards, when I went to update, I realized I forgot my password and username so I went through a lot of trouble, but I'm back now! This chapter should probably sum up why Percy and Annabeth haven't seen each other in 10 years! Hopefully, more later!

* * *

We sat there on the couch for a couple more minutes after that. Although I felt a little uneasy, I was glad that what happened, did.

"I think I'm going to head up now," Annabeth started walking upstairs. Her cheeks were still rosy as she smiled, shyly.

I got up, off the couch and slowly followed her. "Me…too, I guess."

Both of us took our time up the stairs, Annabeth in front, and I couldn't help but stare at what was in front of me, if you know what I mean. 'You pervert' I thought to myself, though I knew plenty of the other guys who would do the same.

"Well, I guess you'll be heading off to your room then," Annabeth said. I looked around. I hadn't realized we were already up the stairs.

"Yeap, good….night?" I started to turn around when I felt a quick peck on my cheek.

"Good night then," Annabeth gave me a little smile and closed the door shut of her room.

Grinning, I somehow managed to walk to mine and after taking a shower, slipped under the covers.

Oddly, I had a dream.

* * *

It had been 10 years ago, during the summer of junior year. I had become closer to Annabeth and although we went to different schools, we saw each other every weekend and every holiday. We always went to camp together after school ended, and fought quests side by side. But that particular summer was the year everything had changed.

"Percy!" she had called. I remember running over and sitting by her at the lake. She was wearing an orange camp shirt and jean shorts. Her hair was tied back effortlessly and she had her camp necklace, with more beads than anyone else. "Hi", she said.

"Hi," I replied. I looked down at her hand and put mine over her's. She grasped onto it. "What's up?"

She immediately brightened up. "I spoke to Chiron today," she began.

"And…?"

"Well he told me I improved a lot this summer…"

"Yeah you did," I said, "Now you can disarm anyone in less than five seconds and you pin people down in less!"

"Really, I pin people down during sword training?"

I nodded. "It's like you're some warrior, but it's okay, I like it when you pin me down." I gave a sly smile.

She didn't look too impressed. "Ew," she replied, but laughed afterwards. "You're sick, you know that?"

I stuck my tongue out, "but you like it…."

"…." She grinned. "Now let me tell you what I have to say!"

"Sorry," I said, "what is it?"

She drew in her breath, "I got a quest!"

I suddenly felt her excitement, "Seriously!? That' s great!"

"Yeah I know!" she exclaimed. "And apparently it's a big one, too!"

I almost bit my tongue. "Yes! Awesome! We'll have so much fun! I'll start packing right now. This time I'll bring toilet paper, since we definitely don't want it to end up like last time!"

"…Percy.." she wasn't excited anymore. I felt a rise of panic.

"What? Is it the toilet paper? Did it gross you out? If it is then I'm sorry, I just wanted to let you know so we'd feel cleaner and you know you never know when-"

"No, no it's not that," she said. "The quest…"

I leaned my neck in, closer.

"…is only for me." She looked guilty.

"Oh…" I felt stupid. "Yeah, right, I was just excited you know? Since I haven't had one yet this year and all…"

"Yeah, I know. It's a one person quest, that's the part that sucks."

I was sad, but when hearing that, realized Annabeth would be alone….in danger.

"Wait, so, that's dangerous, isn't it?" I felt a pang of worry come over me.

Annabeth came closer and gave me a small kiss. "I think I'll be fine." She gave me a positive look, though I still felt unsure.

"I don't know…" I started. "…what if something happens?"

"Well, I _can _pin down anything pretty quickly, can't I?" She demonstrated on me. "So…maybe it's not the problem of me being in danger, but of you missing me." I stayed, lying down on my back while she looked down at me, playfully.

"Hmm, don't be so sure, maybe it's the other way around, right?" I lifted my head to kiss her.

"Maybe, I'll have to think about it," and so she kissed me back.

We went back to Annabeth's cabin afterwards so I could help her pack for her quest, since she would have to leave that night, to avoid any complications. I walked her to the edge of camp and waved as she was driven away with Argus in the front seat.

Day after day I waited for her to come back, and stood near the camp's entrance after three weeks, when she was supposed to arrive back. I started worrying when she hadn't come back after that day, and when I tried to communicate through iris message, the connection failed every time. With the whole camp, we tried our best to understand what could have possibly happened, with a couple of us going on our own quest to find Annabeth, but evidently, she was nowhere to be found.

I would call her family every week after summer, to ask if she'd be back at home, and the closest I could ever come was from a two second iris message by Annabeth. I could only hear "Percy.. " and saw almost nothing. I went from unsure to panicked to terrified.

And as bad as it sounds, I gave up a couple years later, to avoid depression and to live on from the hurt and confusion. I decided to go to university and work in a job I would love, to try to forget, though it never quite worked.

I still remember that iris message, as clear as it could be. "Percy…"

She had disappeared.


End file.
